Dicky
by FrankandJoe3
Summary: Two miserable orphans are randomly selected to live with one of New York's multi-millionaires for a week and end up winning his heart. The YJ version of Annie.
1. Chapter 1

**Up until yesterday, I just assumed that _Annie _was a stupid Broadway show. Now, I have been informed that it is the most amazing movie to ever have existed. After I saw it, I knew that I had to twist and adjust it until it was perfectly adjusted to the YJ scene. It might have a little KF/Rob, maybe not. Just live with it. I LOVED this movie, with all of my heart, and I wish I had a copy at home. Annie herself annoyed the hell out of me, but I knew if I made her a sexy little boy beast, I'd like her a little more. And I didn't like "Sandy", so I decided to make it a cute little kid too. Okay, so… this is four years ago. Dick is 9, Wally and Artemis be 11, Kaldur, Megan and Superboy are 12. This is all just winged. Hope you like it. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Annie _or the YJ kids. **

New York is a big state. 62 cities, 19,541,453 estimated people, 348,656 buildings, 800 languages spoken, 6,720 square miles and home to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Empire State Building, the Grand Central Terminal, the Rockefeller Center, the Staten Island Ferry, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and many other tourist attractions.

This story is about 1 city, about 11 main people, 2 buildings, 1 language and about 1-2 square miles, depending what you consider the main places. Ignore the other 61 cities, 19,541,442 people, 348,654 buildings, 799 languages and 6,718 square miles for the time being. Right now, let me tell you about the main place.

This story takes place in a small rundown orphanage in downtown New York. It's a small two-story building, made with only dark bricks, missing a few chips and bricks all over. The door was old and it creaked viciously at even the slightest tap. The windows only had a screen cover, not a drop of glass over them. The curtains that were on the inside were covered in holes and tears all over, even though it was obviously sewn over in a million different places. A little plaque stood outside the door, completely shine free, that read, 'Hudson St. Orphanage'.

Now, let's introduce you to the main characters. First one is Richard Grayson, more commonly known as Dick to the other kids at the orphanage. He was a little kid, barely nine years old. When he was 2, his parents abandoned him on the steps of the orphanage in a blanket with half a locket on his neck and a note that promised they'd be back for him later. Seven years later, he still hadn't lost hope. He was positive that they'd be back for him any day. He had mildly long black hair that hung down over his forehead; the kind that was long enough to flip for dramatic effect. His eyes were a dark blue and even when he was scared or sobbing would hold a special sparkle to them.

Another thing you need to know about Dick: he hated the orphanage. More specifically, he hated Mr. Zucco, the owner of the orphanage. More than once, he's run away. Every time, he's gotten caught. All of the times but one. He had planned to hop a train, ride far away until he found his parents. Halfway to the train, he had noticed a group of grubby boys beating _something _in the alley. He had heard its pitiful screams of pain. He couldn't help but run over and beat the boys senseless before they scampered off, whimpering in pain. Dick had taken the something home with him. That something is our other main character.

His name is Wallace West, but no one in their right mind likes the name Wallace, so they all called him Wally. His hair was a strange orangish red tint that naturally spiked up all over the place while still managing to look neat and tidy. The bridge of his nose was dusted with dozens of cute little freckles and he, just like Dick, was a very pale shade. He had no hope that his parents would ever return, but he was always upbeat, positive and in a good mood. He felt that he owed his life to Dick so he protected him and cared for him like one might love a little sibling, or maybe a little more. He was actually older than Dick which made it even better.

Dick and Wally were the youngest out of the six kids on their floor, but they were definitely the most loved. Out of the other four, there were two other guys and two little girls. Conner was a quiet ebony American; Kaldur was a dominant blonde African American; Artemis was a snarky blonde half-Vietnamese; Megan was a loving redhead who no one was quite sure the origin of. Conner was a failed abortion left to die on the porch steps. Kaldur's parents couldn't afford to keep him and he was put into the orphanage when he was four. Artemis ran away from home and willingly joined after her mom got arrested and she 'lost' her big sister. Megan never said any specific reason, but she mentioned having hundreds of siblings so it didn't take a rocket scientist to find a reason for her to be there.

They had all been together about 6 years, so they roughly considered each other siblings of a sort. Artemis was definitely the bitchy sister who found it necessary to be 'teacher's pet' with Mr. Zucco, reporting a few of the slip ups and being a jerk more often than one would consider normal for a bitchy sister. Mr. Zucco didn't like her though so he ignored half of the junk she whined about and just locked the door on her before taking a huge swig of whatever alcoholic bottle he had in his hand at the time. That was good for everyone.

Maybe I should explain Mr. Zucco to you too, just so you can't whine to me and say I didn't.

As you already know, he's the owner of the orphanage who manages all of the lovely little orphans. As his name implies, he's Italian. He's also _very _fat. There's your normal fat, your overweight, your obese, and then him. He's like a huge Indiana Jones boulder, minus the toughness. He has thinning black hair, piercing black eyes, somewhere between four to six extra chins, a hoarse voice and stubby fingers. He was always smoking a huge cigar or chugging a bottle of heavy alcohol.

Alright, now you know about the two main characters, the bad guy and where most of this story takes place. That means we can start the story now.

**I named it Dicky, special thanks to Mailey143, so it wouldn't say 'Dick' and sound giggity. I know this chapter sucked. Anyway, this is going after the 1982 version because that version is awesome. Hope ya'll like this because I REALLY love this movie. **

**-F.J. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Temporarily using my old CPU, so if this is kind of sucky, sorry. I'm not used to big consoles like this. And I got Kingdom Hearts! (THANK YOU THEWICKEDWIZARDOFOZ) It's the Recoded one and I'm in _love_. I'm switching off so there's an hour of typing, hour of playing, etc. Wish me luck~ I beat the big boss thing in six minutes though… I feel so accomplished. **

**Disclaimer: Nothing be mine 'til I turn 18… **

It was barely three in the morning, so the only light shining down into the room of slumbering orphans was the light from the moon, but most of that light was blocked by Wally. The eleven year old orphan was curled up in the window frame, one leg set against the cold window screen and the other just barely the grazing the broken wooden floor beneath him. This was how every night went for him. Ever since he turned four, he hadn't been able to get to sleep, no matter how hard and long he cleared his mind and kept his eyes shut. He just accepted his Insomnia and took to finding other things to amuse himself in the early hours.

Down below him, the other five kids were sharing cots to keep warm. Why would Mr. Zucco waste his perfectly good money on unwanted snot-nosed kids? They could deal with little sheets. If they froze, less effort on his part. Kaldur and Conner shared a cot, same with Artemis and Megan as to avoid awkward situations when they woke up. Dick always slept alone though. He often preferred it. Every night though, he scooted over so he only took up ¼ of the bed with his small form, telling Wally that if he ever wanted to try to get to sleep, there'd always be a spot for him in the cot.

Tonight, it was positively freezing, especially by the window where Wally had been people-watching, so he decided to finally take up the little ebony up on his offer. He wasn't tired though; at least no more than usual. He slipped under the thin sheets, shivering in the slightest before pulling his 'little brother' to his chest, hoping to warm them both up so they wouldn't be popsicles for Mr. Zucco to munch on in the morning. It helped, but just barely, not to mention that Wally was bored out of his mind. Lucky for him, Dick was a heavy sleeper and Conner who had the sharpest ears on the planet was on the opposite side of the room so he had a huge list of possibilities.

Tonight, he closed his eyes, pressing his forehead into Dick's messy hair, surprised at the warmth it provided. He tried to think to himself, but his mind was racing and he couldn't pick a particular string of thoughts to follow. He made a mad grab for one though. It was the song he had heard Dick sing to himself when he thought he was alone.

_Sure, let's sing. Not like anyone will care… _

Before he opened his lips, cold arms that quivered from the chilly temperature in the room wrapped around his back. It was probably just Dick's body's way of adapting to the cold; latching onto the nearest source of warmth. He didn't care though. It was easier than having to sneak out and find a hairdryer to thaw his best friend out. Then he fought to remember the words to that sweet little song.

"Maybe far away… or maybe real nearby… He may be pouring her coffee; she may be straightening his tie… Maybe in a house all hidden by a hill… She's sitting playing piano; he's sitting paying the bills…" he started slow as the words began to fall down in front of his eyelids.

He was sure to keep his voice just a breath so that only Dick's unconscious mind could hear it.

"Betcha they're young. Betcha they're smart. Bet they collect things like ash trays and art," Wally tangled his fingers in Dick's hair, wishing his hair was like that. Oh, how he'd kill for hair that soft! "Betcha they're good. Why shouldn't they be? They're one mistake?"

Dick stirred lightly, muttering under his breath, but it was nothing more than sleep talk. He shifted, but only just so his neck was comfortable again.

"… was giving up him…"

Wally had no faith left in his parents. He had watched them shoot each other. They had always fought, but one night, momma had snapped and pulled the trigger. She had tried to kill him too, but he had ran as fast as he could, sobbing his heart out. Dick on the other hand was convinced. He just _knew _that his parents would come back to take him home, the other half of the crummy locket that was _always _clasped around his neck around their neck, tears in their eyes. Wally didn't have the heart to shoot Dick's dreams down, so he just let his little ebony dream.

"So maybe now, it's time, and maybe when he waits, they'll be there calling him, 'baby!' Maybe…"

Dick stirred again, whimpering under his breath. He started to thrash, his arms flying and his legs kicking violently. His eyes were still screwed up tight though, and he was obviously sleeping. Wally frowned, doing his best to bind the bruised bony arms to their sides by just hugging tighter. It managed to stop him from thrashing, but his whimpers of fear got louder and louder. Suddenly, scared blue eyes flashed to the world.

"Wally," Dick sobbed, moving his hands so they covered his tears.

Wally smiled, playing with Dick's hair in a way that usually calmed him down.

"It's okay," Wally whispered, repeating it over and over.

He leaned his head up, gently pressing a brotherly kiss to Dick's forehead. They had been friends for a year now, suffering and working together under the same torturous roof. He had full right to pretend Dick was his brother. Besides, the kid was only nine. That was still pretty normal for kids their age.

"It was just a dream… it's all over now," Wally promised.

Dick still bitterly sobbed, tears staining his cheeks. He was so scared! It had been so real!

"Shut up! How am I supposed to get any sleep around here?" Conner angrily grumbled from across the room.

Dick and Wally ignored him. Artemis didn't. He had woken her up and she was a little more than very pissed.

"Dick shouldn't even be in here! He's a baby!" Artemis whined obnoxiously, 'accidentally' kicking Kaldur as she stood up in her bed.

He let out a cry of pain, jumping back and hitting Conner who winced something awful.

"He cries_ all _the time!" she continued, carefully avoiding Conner's arm that intended to trip her.

She stepped full on Megan's stomach, causing the ginger to sit straight up and scream in pain, hugging her stomach. Artemis kept right on walking, not bothering to give a shit about her 'roommates'.

"I-I do not!" Dick sat up, wiping at his eyes.

Wally sat up with him, still holding him close. Megan, Conner and Kaldur got up, pillows in hand, obviously in sour moods now.

"_You're _the one who shouldn't be in here!" Conner claimed, madly swinging his pillow at her.

It swept her legs out from under her and she hit the ground with a pained, 'oof'.

"You brat!" Megan pouted, swinging her pillow and bringing it down on the blonde's face.

True, she wasn't very strong, but Kaldur was and he hit her in the same spot seconds later.

"You are going to get us in trouble!" Kaldur stated, more anger than fear to his voice.

The simple accusations quickly changed to hateful swear words as the hits got harder and Artemis started to scream because of them. Dick squealed, scared sick, burying his face in Wally's neck, holding onto his 'big brother' for dear life. Wally's eyes narrowed.

"Be back," he breathed into the boy's ear, sliding out from under the hug.

He was at the others' side in a literal flash, snatching their pillows from them even faster.

"Stop it!" he cried over their shouting, "Do you want Mr. Zucco to come in here?"

Everyone stopped, their eyes wide.

"Get back to bed," Wally said again when Artemis got out of the bed, glaring him down, "Or you'll have _me _to deal with."

The blonde snickered at even the thought of the ginger being a challenge.

"Blow it out your ass," she shrugged, walking away with a smirk.

Dick pulled the sheets up to his chest, using them to angrily scrub at his face. To his surprise though, Wally backed down and dashed back to his side, claiming his spot back beneath the covers. He wrapped his arms around the pale shoulders beside him, letting the tear-stained ebony rest his head on his shoulder.

"Close your eyes Dick," Wally glared Artemis' direction. "Think about your folks… you're the only one of us who really has any."

The ginger's fingers lightly tugged the silver chain out from under Dick's shirt, bringing half of the locket up in his hands. Dick weakly glanced down at it, smiling softly.

"You could try thinking of _your _folks," he offered hopefully, "You could tell me about them?"

Wally shook his head weakly, sadness falling over his face.

"My folks are dead. I've got you though. What else do I need?"

Dick blushed happily, curling his cold toes.

"Don't you want to have parents again though? You know, someone who wants a little ginger with pretty green eyes?"

Wally thought about it, but he shook his head.

"I already had a chance with parents. I blew it. I don't want to mess up again… Besides, long as we got each other, who needs dumb ole' parents?" he said sweetly, hiding how bothered he really was.

Dick closed his eyes, bringing Wally back so they were resting against the headboard.

"My parents… Betcha he reads… Betcha she sews… Maybe she's made me a closet of clothes," Dick sang softly.

He had such a perfect little voice, unfazed by the world. Artemis pressed her head deeper into her pillow, biting her lip gently. Wally didn't care about her though.

"Maybe they're strict; as straight as a line," Megan grabbed a fistful of her pillow, blinking fast. "I don't really care. As long as they're mine."

"Damnit," Conner mumbled, screwing his eyes up tight.

Kaldur turned so he was facing Conner. They exchanged saddened, hopeless glances before he turned back over.

"So maybe now these prayers… the last one of its kind… Won't you please come get your baby?" Wally whispered softly, but before he could finish, he heard a loud thud outside the door.

He let out a cry, hugging Dick tight for a moment before he actually began to think. He pulled Dick down so they were on their sides again, pulling the blankets up over their heads. He hugged his 'little brother' tighter than a little girl would hug her teddy bear at a scary movie.

The door to their 'room' was kicked open and the floors began to creak under the strain of Mr. Zucco. His tuxedo jacket could never be buttoned, but this time, its sleeves were strained from the effort of containing his massive arms. He reeked of vodka and weed, definitely out of his mind at the moment. He looked like he was suffering from the mother of hangovers. The light was snapped on and he cried out in pain, but he kept staggering into the room.

"Did I hear…" he belched loudly, "screams in here?"

He was obviously referring to the pillow beat down earlier. Everyone's heart stopped and they tried their best to seem asleep. Mr. Zucco disgustingly licked his lips before staggering towards the line of beds.

"You all seem so…" he ripped the blankets off of Conner and Kaldur's bed, "AWAKE!"

The scream caused them to jump, cursing heavily under their breath as they realized they were busted. They weakly got out of bed, scampering away.

"Get up! Get out of bed!" he screamed at Artemis, Megan, Dick and Wally.

Megan slipped out from under the sheets, flying to Conner's side instinctively. Artemis had to be dragged by her ankle. Mr. Zucco had sharp nails for a man so she howled in pain, especially when her face struck the wooden floors.

"Clean this mess!" Mr. Zucco demanded, weakly limping to Dick and Wally's' bed. "Get dressed!"

He yanked the covers away from the pretend-sleeping pair, scowling at them.

"This room had better be regulation clean before breakfast or… kill, kill, kill!" that was always his threat.

"B-But… i-it's the middle of the night!" Wally claimed, surprised that Mr. Zucco hadn't realized by now that he wasn't a regular attendee.

He was a pretty bad drunk though. That probably explained a lot.

"It's the middle of the night!" Zucco mocked, going to pick up Wally by his shirt front.

Dick let out a cry, jumping in front so it was him that was yanked into the air. Wally's eyes widened and he fought to free his savior from the dirty hands that held him. Dick was pulled close enough that he could smell the Tonic on Mr. Zucco's breath. Everyone else in the room could smell that though.

"If this floor don't shine like the top of the Chrysler building," the heavy man paused to hiccup, "… your backsides will. Understand?"

Wally wrenched Dick out of the hateful arms, hugging him protectively, backing up. Everyone nodded though, in hopes that Mr. Zucco would leave faster.

"Yes Mr. Zucco," they all chanted in unison, dashing off to replace their feeble pajamas with shirts and shorts that made them shiver even more.

Mr. Zucco stepped closer to Dick and Wally, his eyes narrowed.

"What do you say… Dick? Wally?"

They both gritted their teeth, glaring down at the hardwood. Wally kept holding tight though.

"I love you, Mr. Zucco," they chanted, shaking in anger.

Mr. Zucco sized them up, scowling harder.

"Why any kid would want to be an orphan… is beyond me," he mumbled, leaving the room as he scratched his head with the head of his bottle.

Dick held back a silent growl, leaning back into the protective hug before Wally let go. Then they dashed off to get dressed.

**I love this movie… I can't wait 'til the roller coaster scene! And the huge staff dance! Should I do all the sing songy stuff or no? It's an option. I'm not a big fan of it, but it added more words to this chapter (: review?**

**-F.J.**


	3. Chapter 3

**So… turns out, I have a huge crush on Sam… when she said we were going out to walk in the woods, I was hoping she'd kiss me… So… I'm straight with an exception now… She didn't kiss me by the way. She held my hand, but she didn't kiss me. She's probably as straight as a line… but maybe, just maybe, I'll get her to bend somewhere along the path. Won't stop me from trying. Maybe that's why I like all things gay (: Or maybe this is just a phase… *shrug* KF/Rob for the win! And Imma include songs because I can. You don't like it? Write it yourself ^-^ I'm using a YouTube version for all references. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing (: **

Breakfast began promptly at 8:30 which only gave the little orphans five hours and thirty minutes to make the whole orphanage shine. To some, five hours and thirty minutes is more than enough to tidy up two stories, especially when you have over thirty orphans from the ages 9 to 16. Surprisingly though, it usually took even more than that to even clean the floors alone.

This orphanage had a few aces up their sleeves though. By aces, I'm referring to its occupants. A few of the kids weren't exactly what you'd call 'normal'. Most of the 'unique' kids were just _extremely _flexible and agile, like Dick, allowing them to climb high distance or squeeze into awkward positions to clean whatever it was that needed to be cleaned. A few of the kids had some 'abilities' that separated them from the others though, ones that would make you call them, 'mutants' or 'freaks', but they weren't from the Marvel universe. Oh yes, that reminds me. I have two other characters to introduce you to. They aren't very important, but are different than most of the orphans.

The first one I'd like you to meet is a boy named Roy Harper. He was about 12, give or take, not to mention full blown American. He had short reddish-brown hair and blue eyes. Most days, he was as bad as Artemis to the others, but at times when he felt it necessary, he was nice to Kaldur and Dick. He usually didn't feel it necessary though. He was a buff boy whose dad died serving overseas. His mom couldn't afford to keep him, so she 'just tossed him out like rotten trash'. For his 'ability', he had _perfect _aim on everything from an arrow to a knife, just like Artemis. Some accused them of being related, even if it meant step or half siblings, but after you've had the misfortune of getting to know them, you could tell that they were nothing alike.

The other one is a little girl name Zatanna Zatara. She was barely a year older than Dick and had often tried to be with him, but Wally made it clear that she wasn't wanted. She was American too, her black hair long enough to fall a few inches past her shoulders. Just like Dick, she had blue eyes, but her eyes were similar to ice. The other boys and girls questioned her sexuality due to the fact that she was always wearing a tuxedo of a sort. She kept her past to her self, but it was understood that she had never really had a mom. As for her 'gift', she was quite the magician. Not the kind with the cute bunny rabbits either. All she had to do was mutter what she wanted backwards and –poof-, like a diva, it was done for her.

I myself don't like Roy or Zatanna, but I felt it necessary to explain to you that not just one room of the orphanage had weird gifts and sad pasts. You don't really care for Roy or Zatanna though. You care about the main six, so allow me to explain their pros.

Like I said before, Dick was given the ability to stretch and bend like a contortionist almost, and being as small as he was, that was a very good pro. Wally, as hinted at last chapter, was granted the gift of super speed. Artemis, as mentioned above, had perfect aim. Conner could jump as high as the second story windows just like he could pick up Mr. Zucco's enormous bulk, not to mention his portly sister-in-law and his tubby brother, all at the same time. Kaldur could control all forms of water, even tears, which was a pretty good gift. Then, finally, Megan was a telepath with telekinesis who could shape-shift.

There were several other gifted children, but they won't utter a single word in this story, let alone be mentioned, so there's no need in telling you something that you won't benefit from at any point in the future. Now, let us drift back to the characters who'll do more than just utter words in the story; more specifically, the main six.

Five hours and thirty minutes is a long time, even for a patient person. Five hours and thirty minutes is an even longer time if spent in silence. Simple conversation couldn't last, mostly because it was 3 in the freaking morning and just having to try to think of words to say to the other half-unconscious occupants, even apologies meant to try to make up for their early rising. They could try talking to each other, but what is there to say when you can't see a foot in front of you?

A few kids grabbed a wooden bucket, full to the top with a rag and soapy water. Others grabbed dusters. Some chose mops, some grabbed brooms and a few unlucky kids were stuck with the vacuum cleaner and so on. Then, weapons of cleansing in hand, they all set off, mumbling to themselves over what the hell the Chrysler building looked like. Some kids couldn't even begin working though. A few were unconscious on the stairs. One little girl was even asleep standing up, her wet rag sitting on the stair railing in front of her. No one had the heart to shake them up though so they were left to sleep as the cleaning began.

Dick, with a grin, straddled the railing of the stairs and slid down backwards at a fast speed. It drew giggles from his lips until he crashed into Wally, causing them both to tumble to the floor. He was going to apologize, but when he saw how brightly lit the emerald eyes were, he shrugged it off and kept right on giggling. Before, the two of them would've been obnoxiously singing at the top of their lungs, but one day Roy had made it perfectly obvious that there was to be _no _singing, or at least as long as he was around. Those were two bruises that they'd always regret.

Other days, Dick would've grabbed the kitchen pots with his feet and flipped to-and-fro across the kitchen, making monkey noises just to make Wally laugh in amusement. Some days, he might've cart-wheeled or even danced with the ginger, humming some tune under his breath so Roy wouldn't come in and whap him for singing. Today though, no one had the heart to do much anything but trudge or plan revenge on Mr. Zucco. They did clean, but Mr. Zucco was always too drunk to notice. For all he cared, they could use the floors as their personal bathrooms and it would've been the exact same.

Megan was levitating kids up to the high corners, letting out shriek-like giggles as soap suds rained down on her, soaking her clothes to her body and her hair to her head. She knew she could change into a rain slicker, but where's the fun in that? Conner was moving the couches and chairs to the higher levels with a single bound so the kids stuck on mop, broom and vacuum duty could better clean the floors. Kaldur was boiling the water in the sink, painlessly reaching into the scalding water to help scrub yesterday's dinner from the once white plates, aged yellow from years of angry abuse.

Artemis shooting up the Christmas lights with her nail gun, despite the fact that Santa would never come to the orphanage. She couldn't remember what Christmas really was anymore. She remembered the tree and the presents, but other than that, she had no memory of it. All they had at the house this year were cruddy white lights; the kind that flickered dangerously when they've been on too long. Even a few lights could be seen by Santa, right? Maybe this year, if Angie stopped being such a Jew, they could actually get presents this year. Or not.

Dick was dangling off of the second story stair railings, his ankles hooked around the balusters. He was changing the light bulbs mostly, but he was also waiting for Wally to come back with a star-like object for the top of their tree. This year, all of the boys had snuck out, returning home with a big evergreen tree. Mr. Zucco hadn't noticed it yet, but that was only because it was put near the 'playroom'. He didn't want to be anywhere near their toys in fear of catching the stupid. The ginger, besides looking for a star, was racing across the floors with rags tied to his feet in a mad effort to aid with cleaning, not to mention how fun it was.

Five hours, a decorated Christmas tree, clean floors and sparkling windows later, a sharp whistle sound snapped through the air. It was a half-assed trill, but when it sounded, every conscious ear in the room perked up. Couches and tables were quickly shoved back into place, plates were adjusted and a little ebony dropped down into the arms of his ginger, landing safely down from the stairs. Buckets, mops, brooms and such were shoved back into their rightful spots before every one dashed back up the stairs, falling into rows of two.

"No one cares for you a smidge," Wally sung under his breath, an arm around his friend to keep him from sleeping.

"When you're in an orphanage," Dick finished, smiling secretively to himself.

They felt Roy's glare on them for a moment so they stifled squeaks and dashed up the stairs as fast as the crowds could manage. On the way up, Dick bent down swiftly and shook Diana's shoulders, causing her to snap up in surprise. She got kicked in the head. Didn't it figure? Dick shrugged it off before he scurried forward, catching up with Wally in an instant. Emerald eyes glanced down at him worriedly for a moment, but the worry was gone in an instant as they remembered what the whistle meant.

Halfway up the stairs, Wally jumped out of his skin as he saw that the little ebony wasn't under his arm anymore. During the small time he had been with Dick, he had come to face the horrible fact that his world was a ninja. It wasn't that bad if you thought about it, but Wally never was one for thinking. He kept marching up the stairs with the others, smiling secretly. His little boy was a genius. Dick was back down by Diana. He picked up her arm by pulling the sleeve.

"You'll stay up… 'til this dump _shines _like the top of the Chrysler building!" he did his best Mr. Zucco impersonation.

Diana grinned shyly before tearing up the stairs after the youngest orphan. Once at the top of the stairs, Dick grinned.

"Kill, kill, kill!" he shrieked, bringing his chin down to his neck to make himself look heavier.

He was such a bony little thing though that the effort was useless. It just made him look like a normal kid.

"Yank the whiskers from his chin," a Mexican looking boy came close.

Dick pushed him away weakly.

"Pathetic bastard!" he cried, not knowing he was cussing.

After all, he was an orphan. How was he supposed to know what was right or wrong?

"Stab him with a safety pin!" three little girls cried, rushing at him with sewing kits.

Dick ducked away from them, faking disgust.

"Stupid orphans!" he grinned to himself. "Nobody loves you!"

"I love you, Mr. Zucco," all of the orphans chanted, giggling to themselves as Dick hid a giggle of his own, bolting down the hall to the next room.

The next room was a bedroom full of unmade cots.

"Get to work!" Dick struggled to sound Italian, drunk and disgusting, but he managed to do his best.

All of the kids who lined the beds made themselves shiver and shake in mock fear.

"Make that bed!" Dick called to a little girl who was holding her body up backwards.

As he exited from the room, all of the girls and guys grab their headboards and flip head over heels, landing on their beds excitedly before grabbing pillows and laughing as they lightly threw them at him. Dick made quick work to leave. Pillows hurt, no matter how light. In his room, Kaldur, Conner, Megan and Artemis sat on the floor.

"Polish my shoes!" he demanded them, dashing away as they crawled after him quickly.

When he got to the laundry bin, he pushed it forward before hopping into it, being careful to only take up half.

"Come on Wally," he called up softly as the girls and boys giggled at the Mr. Zucco impression.

It had all been a distraction. If Mr. Zucco thought nothing was wrong, maybe he'd be oblivious for a day longer. Wally looked both ways before hoping into the laundry bin after Dick. They exchanged excited looks before Wally quickly held tight to Dick's hand, making him duck his head so they were closer, not to mention that they'd take up less room. The orphans all piled the blankets over the ginger and ebony until it was impossible to tell that there was anything under the laundry. Muffled giggles sounded from under the covers.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kaldur asked slowly, being one of the several kids circling the laundry box.

Muffled speech came from under the white, but no one tried to stand up so he took that as a yes.

"All you ever do is try to run away," Megan pointed out to Dick, adjusting the blankets carefully.

"He'll put you in the cellar with the ghosts," Conner said with a smirk, his arms folded over his chest.

"You're going to get us in trouble," Artemis growled, "I'll tell!"

"Do that and I'll rearrange your face princess," Wally yelled back from under the sheets, hugging Dick closer as he heard Mr. Zucco walk into the room.

Both boys held their breath. This was it. This was their chance.

**Not even through Part 1. Aren't you proud? So yeah, review~ Someone said no to the songs and I didn't want to have to bother with the lyrics so I crossed most of it off my list of what to do. "It was sad to hear Santa go from 'Ho, Ho, Ho' to 'Ho, Ho, HOLY SHIT!'"**

**-F.J. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Maddie said she wanted an update. I wanted to type a one-fic. Turns out, I suck at Christmas fics. That's why it sucks to be Atheist on Christmas. Less than 20 fics left 'til 200 and less days then that. I'm screwed. Any requests would be lovely. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own this movie or the characters. **

Ever since he was put in there, Dick had been trying to escape the orphanage. He had tried every trick in the book and even a few that weren't in them. Before he had found Wally, he had run away every night, running until his feet bruised. He _hated _the orphanage. Today, he didn't necessarily intend to run away because Wally was with him. He was pretty sure that Wally didn't want to run away. He never asked though. It'd be a stupid idea. The two of them were hiding in the laundry bin with the intention of just getting to town. Maybe they'd pick up some secret groceries for the kids in their room. Maybe they'd just walk around and talk about the future. They'd most likely just walk around until the police snatched them and dragged them back to the orphanage like usual.

"What are you all… just standing around here for?" Mr. Zucco's slur lazily cut the air.

He had the machete facing the right way, but he just wasn't swinging hard enough to be heard by them all.

"You're supposed to clean the bathroom… and the kitchen before lunch, my little bastards," he walked towards the group around the laundry bin, pushing them aside as if they weren't abandoned children. "And if you skip the corners… there will be _no _lunch. And we're not having hot mush today…"

That brought an excited grin to everyone's eyes, their worn down eyes rekindling the faint sparkle that they had always held but they had just never taken the time to pick it up.

"HEY!" Mr. Zucco yelled to silence them, setting a hand to his head as the migraine kicked in, "… We're having cold mush."

A disappointed groan ran through the crowd and everyone slumped a little. Everyone but Dick and Wally who sat huddled together with bated breath.

"What?" he snapped at them, his eyes furious.

"We love you Mr. Zucco," the grumbled before stomping off to clean the house, even the corners.

"Wonderful," he shook his head, looking around. "Where's Dick? And the strange redhead?"

The kids exchanged glances, trying to decide who'd make the lie this time.

"Bathroom," Zatanna's voice weakly floated up the stairs.

At her voice, Dick noticed Wally's grip tightened on his hand, but he didn't think much on it. Wally was always overprotective. It was nothing new.

"'Bathroom'," Mr. Zucco mocked, rolling his eyes.

"Mr. Zucco!" a feminine voice trilled up the stairs.

The man's eyes lit up and he grinned madly, running a hand over his hair.

"M-Ms. Audrey!" he cried, dashing as fast as he could down the stairs.

"Ms. Audrey," the kids mocked, giggling behind their hands.

Artemis dashed back into the room where Wally and Dick were hiding. She climbed onto the bed, backing up and running to the end of the bed. She jumped experimentally once or twice before jumping into the laundry bin, laughing as Dick and Wally screamed in pain.

"BITCH!" Wally stood up from the sheets and backhanded her across the face.

She stared at him, offended before pulling her fist back and going to strike Wally. Dick caught her fist and pushed it back, toppling her out of the bin. She let out a cry as she hit the ground. Dick leaned over the bin and looked down at her.

"Only _I _can hit him," Dick stuck his tongue out at her before looking back at his ginger.

Wally nodded in approval, smiling weakly. Then he grabbed Dick's hand in his own and pulled the ebony back down into the bin, covering them both up with the sheets.

"Thanks," Wally whispered.

Dick grinned to himself, "Always."

XxXxX

Conner rolled his eyes, carrying the laundry bin up over his head down the stairs.

"Why am _I _carrying this?" he grumbled to the others.

Everyone shot him a look, but he still didn't get it.

"Do any of us look like we have super strength?" Roy rolled his eyes sarcastically.

Conner shot him a glare, but he continued on down the stairs with Wally and Dick's escape route above his head. When he got to the door, he dropped it to the floor and two cries of pain sounded.

"Sorry," Conner said, opening the door by hand and letting the girls push the bin the short distance outside to where Mr. Zucco was disgustingly flirting with the laundrywoman.

She was just as heavy and disgusting as him. It was a surprise that she hadn't crushed her van yet.

"What are you doing here?" Mr. Zucco snapped at them.

"Helping you," Megan cocked her head and forced an innocent smile.

Ms. Audrey tried to pick up the bin, but she raised her eyebrows.

"Wow. This is much heavier than usual," she itched her stomach.

When she noticed the slightest tuft of black hair, a smile came to her lips. She was well aware of Dick's constant escape tactics, and she didn't blame him.

"Really? What's in there?" Mr. Zucco started for the bin.

Ms. Audrey took him by the hands and spun him around as the girls lifted the bin into the back of the van.

"Oh, Mr. Zucco," she batted her eyelashes dramatically, pressing a kiss to his cheek, "You're my kind of man."

When she saw the bin was in the van, she simply walked away from the heavy Italian man, ignoring his looks of protest. She locked the back of the van and climbed into the front of her van, driving into town.

**Dick and Wally are in the van, it's heading to town, they're escaping. Review?**

**-F.J. **


	5. Chapter 5

**For the fourth time, dedicated to tydeerose! (See, promised I'd dedicate them) I have to admit, I like updating this 'cause it gives me a chance to rewatch Annie, but I've been getting lazy as hell. _So I wrote you this song; hope that you sing along. And it goes, "Merry Christmas~ Kiss My Ass." _**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this movie or the characters. **

The street market in town was beautiful in a homely way. Delicious foods, homemade items and such were being sold in the crudely built stands, customers casually chatting with the owners about everything from the weather to the awful Miss Peterson down the road who ran the ballet studio.

The road itself was one of the lowly ones that had been paved once upon a time, but it had enough potholes and cracks to make any unsuspecting tires scream in protest. The buildings weren't tall and mighty; rather they were low and comforting, making everyone feel like they belonged there. The hot summer day found it necessary to have the people have their hoses out to let any wanting customer to cool off. Mostly kids played in it as the laundry van drove down the road.

The van pulled to a complete stop in front of the barber shop, the candy cane poles by the sign performing little pirouettes off the stage. Ms. Audrey climbed out of the van, hurrying to the back doors and opening them as fast as her oversized body would allow. When the doors were finally opened, she struggled to haul the heavy laundry bin to the pavement. She made sure not to just drop it, obviously aware of the precious cargo inside. She pushed it forward a little so she could close the doors.

"Hey, we're in here!" Wally's voice cut through the sheets.

The poor child must've thought that she was going to dump them in with the rest of the disgusting cloths! She hurried back to the bin, pulling back the sheets until she saw heads of red and black. Unable to hide a smile, she leaned down and pulled the two children out, one by one, delicately touching their feet to the ground.

"Thank you Ms. Audrey," Dick said shyly, his cheeks pink.

The woman smiled, nodding assuringly. She shook both of their hands, her smile friendly and kind.

"Good luck, you two," she wished the best of them.

Wally and Dick nodded before casually walking off together, their eyes bright. Neither noticed the policeman strolling even more casual after them. They didn't necessarily want to notice him though. They just wanted to enjoy themselves for once.

Eyes of emerald and blue scanned over the delicacies that the market had to offer, grinning and commenting to one another about how beautiful the flowers were and how pretty that one woman was and just how nice it was to be outside of the orphanage for once. The comfort lasted for a good while, the backs of their hands ghosting over each other as they began to walk closer and closer. The comfort faded when the hauntingly familiar whistle sounded.

Dick peeked an eye over their shoulders, nearly jumping out of his skin when he saw who it was that was whistling.

"It's the cop! We gotta go!" he whispered quickly to his almost big brother, trying to pretend he didn't see the officer.

Wally's eyes widened and he too peeked a quick glance. His heart nearly stopped in his chest. He grabbed the little ebony's hand in his own and the two took off running down the sidewalk. The officer noticed the increased speed and he too sped up. The orphans muttered quick apologies as they ducked in and out of the huge crowd, thankful for the cover it gave.

"Little Sally Walker, walking down the street," a group of girls chanted in the middle of the road, a little blonde girl skipping around on the inside of the circle.

It was about that time that Dick and Wally decided normal speed wasn't going to do them much good. Wally quickly slipped an arm under the ebony's knees, putting one under the kid's back before bolting off in a literal flash. He wasn't quite sure where he was running. He was just going to go until they lost the cop. Luckily, that didn't take long. They had found a rather portly cop so he naturally wouldn't have lasted much longer.

Just in case though, Wally did a circle so they were back where they started. He set Dick back to the ground, letting him walk on his own again and they started casually walking again.

"Gee, that was close," Dick laughed, his eyes sparkling from the thrill.

Wally laughed too, but only because Dick did. He wasn't as amused by potentially dangerous situations. He was amused by chickens though, and lucky for him, there was a huge row of chickens in cages. He set a hand to his friend's shoulder, quickly swapping sides with him so he could teasingly run his fingers across the bars of the cages, making the chickens squawk in terror. Their screams brought him delight. His delight made Dick laugh, so they were happy again.

They went back to casually talking and walking, turning down the corner and continuing along, following the streets to see where they would lead them. When a group of grubby and angry boys tore off down the road beside them, accidentally bumping into Dick and knocking him to the ground, Wally decided maybe they should follow them; maybe kick their ass while they were at it. The ginger knelt down, offering Dick a hand, helping him to his feet.

They exchanged similar glances, tearing down the street after the boys. The boys seemed to be chasing someone else, but no one was running very fast. No one could blame them. It was pretty hot out. When Dick started to slow down, Wally reached back again, catching his hand.

"Come on Dicky, bare with me," Wally offered him a strong smile, his voice strong.

Dick bit his lip, nodding firmly. He picked up the pace, his worn down shoes slapping the pavement roughly in an effort to keep up. Neither boy seemed to care as they ran into an alley. They just dashed through the puddles, laughing as the water splashed up at them. Their laughter stopped when terrified screams sounded from deeper in the alley. Never letting go of the other's hand, they both sped up, closing in on the gang of boys in an instant.

They were obviously picking on another kid. Wally felt an immediate pang of déjà vu. He was reminded of this exact scene, only that other kid as himself.

"_L-Leave me alone!" the ginger screamed, holding his arms up over his face as the other boys circled around him. _

_They taunted and teased, throwing rocks and such at him. _

"_You don't have parents!" _

"_Go cry to your mommy- oh wait, you can't!" _

"_Does widdle baby want his mommy back?" _

_Tears fell from the hidden emerald eyes and he started to shake. _

"_H-Help!" he cried, hoping that someone would be there to save him. _

_He didn't care who it was. He just wanted them to go away. A guardian angel descended on him in a moment. A small fist collided with one of the older boy's jaws, causing the older boy to crumple to the floor, unconscious. _

"_Hey. Leave him alone," a cute little voice demanded. _

_The other boys laughed in amusement. _

"_What are you going to do to make us?" one taunted. _

_A second later, a foot collided with his cheek and he hit the ground roughly, crying out in pain. The ginger shakily looked up to see his hero. It was a small boy, a few years younger than him! He looked so small and fragile, but all of the boys were now on the ground by his feet, stiff as boards. _

"_That," the boy said cockily, smirking down at them. _

_Then he carefully climbed over them, hurrying to the ginger's side. _

"_You okay?" he asked worriedly, his dark blue eyes wide. _

_The ginger smiled with a nod, wiping at his eyes. _

"_Y-You saved me…" he whispered. _

_The little boy laughed, helping him to his feet. _

"_Anyone would've helped you. I just happened to be here fastest," he said optimistically, thrusting his hand out in the short distance between them. "My name's Dick!" _

_The freckle faced boy cautiously took the hand in his own, shaking it. _

"_Uh, Wally. Thanks for saving me… I owe you one…"_

These were the same guys. He could tell from the faded bruises. It was time that he got to show off. Wally brought his fist back, letting go of Dick's hand before he drilled his hand into the middle of one of the guys' back. He stumbled forward in surprise, crying out as he did so. It was time to play hero.

**Eh, four pages, a flashback included. Sorry this is way late ^-^… Heh… Review? **

**-F.J. **


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